| Lucban Church | |
|---|---|
| Saint Louis Bishop Parish Church | |
| San Luis Obispo de Tolosa Parish Church | |
.jpg) Church façade after its 2018 restoration | |
.svg)  Lucban Church Location in Luzon .svg) Lucban Church Location in the Philippines | |
| 14°06′53″N 121°33′13″E / 14.114846°N 121.553686°E | |
| Location | La Purisima Concepcion St., Poblacion, Lucban, Quezon |
| Country | Philippines |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Founder(s) | Fray Juán Portocarrero de Plasencia, OFM and Fray Diego Oropesa, OFM |
| Dedication | Saint Louis of Toulouse |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architectural type | Church building |
| Style | Baroque |
| Completed | 1738, 2019 (restoration) |
| Administration | |
| Province | Lipa |
| Archdiocese | Lipa |
| Diocese | Lucena |
| Clergy | |
| Archbishop | Most. Rev. Gilbert Garcera, DD |
| Bishop(s) | Most Rev. Mel Rey M. Uy, DD |
| Priest(s) | Rev. Msgr. Melecio B. Verastigue, PC |
| Assistant priest(s) | Rev. Fr. Raymart Karl Estrada |
Saint Louis Bishop Parish Church, also known as San Luis Obispo de Tolosa Parish Church, Saint Louis of Toulouse Parish Church and proposed Diocesan Shrine of San Isidro Labrador, commonly known as Lucban Church, is a Roman Catholic parish church located in Lucban, Quezon, Philippines under the supervision of the Diocese of Lucena. Its titular is Saint Louis, Bishop of Toulouse.
Father Juán Portocarrero de Plasencia and Father Diego de Oropesa de San José, known as the Apostles of Laguna and Tayabas, established the visita of Lucban in 1578 and started evangelizing the people of the town.[1] The visita was elevated to a parish in 1595 under Father Miguel de Talavera alongside the construction of its first church made of wood, dedicated to Saint Louis of Toulouse.[1]
The first church was ruined in 1629 and a second church was established on the present site.[1][2] Construction of the second church, made of stone, masonry, and nipa, proceeded from 1630 to 1640 and the convent was finished in 1650.[1] Church roofing was changed to tiles in 1683 under the supervision of Father Francisco Huerta.[1]
Fire destroyed the building in 1733.[2] That same year, Father Pascual Martinez began construction of a third building, the present one, which was completed in 1738.[1] The rebuilt convent was completed in 1743.[2] On April 4, 1945, the day American soldiers liberated Lucban during World War II, the church was partially damaged by a bomb.[3] It was immediately reconstructed under the supervision of Monsignor Antonio Radovan.[1]
In July 2014 Typhoon Glenda destroyed the roof over the altar, causing flooding inside the church.[4] Under the supervision of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, the church underwent a full-scale exterior restoration in 2019. It is being proposed as a diocesan shrine under the tutelage of Saint Isidro Labrador.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Bells of St. Francis". OFM Philippines Archives. Order of Friar Minors in the Philippines. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
- ^ a b c National Historical Institute 1993, p. 65
- ^ "Lucban World War 2". Lucban Historical Society. May 11, 2013. Retrieved December 23, 2014.
- ^ Dacalanio, Sherbien (July 18, 2014). "Typhoon Glenda aftermath in Quezon Province". Demotix. Archived from the original on January 2, 2015. Retrieved December 23, 2014.